Successful West Coast trip shows that Celtics should fortify bench for title run

Successful West Coast trip shows that Celtics should fortify bench for title run

Road play was one of the few unanswered issues surrounding the Boston Celtics going into their difficult four-game road trip last week.

Boston has been mostly ordinary away from home this season, but they are unbeaten at home. There was something to show during the past seven days against some of the greatest teams in the Western Conference, even though part of those problems were due to injuries and difficult opponents.

After losing to the Warriors in overtime in San Francisco, the Celtics defeated Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers to start the four-game trip, and they finished it on Monday with an 11-point victory against the Lakers.

Despite the Warriors’ defeat, Boston’s point differential for the trip was plus-67, and at 23-6, the club concluded the trip with the best record in the NBA. They are among the top five in both the offensive (second) and defensive (fifth) ratings, and they have the second-best net rating in the NBA.

On Monday night in Los Angeles, Jayson Tatum told reporters, “I mean, we’ve got a really good team.” “We have a lot of outstanding individual players, and we’ve been playing excellent basketball most of the time. That was what we anticipated. We trained hard during this training camp at the start of the season because we wanted to do well. Clearly, we are aware of our ultimate objective. All we’re attempting to do is improve daily.

The Celtics appear to have more talent than any other team in the NBA, as seen by their current statistics. Teams like Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia may have records that are comparable to Boston’s, but none of them have faced a schedule quite as difficult as this one after thirty games. The Celtics have shown out to compete every night and haven’t been completely outplayed in any of their six losses, despite injuries and challenging opponents.

Although it’s not a flawless squad, this is the most competitive championship candidate this team has had in ten years. Now that the team’s stars are showing their buy-in and making sacrifices at every position on the roster, it is up to President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office to commit to this group even more. Injuries may present this team’s largest current roadblock to winning an NBA championship. Because of this, the leadership of this squad has an obligation to implement measures to minimise that risk and optimise the title window this season.

Fortunately for Stevens, he can accomplish that aim without sacrificing any of the team’s starting six players. With a $6.2 million traded-player exemption, Boston can bolster its roster without having to deal away any important players. In addition to a tonne of second-round picks, the Celtics still have three future first-round picks up for grabs. While it is understandable that the organisation won’t completely empty its asset cupboard in February, it makes little sense to preserve the majority of those picks when they may improve the team’s bench or offer valuable insurance.

By bringing Jrue Holiday into the fold in September of this year, the team already threw its cards in the centre. Now, it’s time to safeguard the exceptional opportunity that has been created. All options should be vigorously pursued over the next six weeks, whether that means finding a potential playoff rotation contributor who offers a needed skill set beyond what Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser offer, or adding a more seasoned big man to back up Kristaps Porzingis or Al Horford in the event of a playoff injury.

As wonderful as things have looked for this team through 29 games, the current objective should be to maintain it and convert it into postseason success. The Celtics have assembled one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, and the clincher is having players who can cover for Coach Joe Mazzulla in the event of injury. Though Stevens still has plenty of time to make that move—or moves—in the upcoming weeks, it is clearly obvious that a last push is necessary. This group has already provided an emphatic response to that query.

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